Whenua

by M.O. Chamberlain

As the title implies the story is one of whenua, land.

The fiction novel sets up parallel stories which link together, inviting the reader to compare and contrast two main narratives. The first: of a Māori family from Aotearoa, New Zealand who have lost their land and the generational struggle that results from this, and the second: of Irish settlers who come to Aotearoa to find their place to stand after losing their family land in Ireland to the English.

It explores generation trauma and a wide range of different and well developed perspectives from characters of different backgrounds.

494 pages, Paperback

Published September 17, 2011

Reviews

[Angelique Simonsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. Simply written and enjoyable

[Brylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written juxtaposition of Māori people and Irish settlers in Aotearoa with through and thoughtful character development that results in as many, if not more, similarities as differences. This novel really pulled together threads Aotearoa history and made me feel the emotion so often missed in history lessons. It has a mix of traditionally "good" and "bad"characters but really develops their various psyches in a way that makes their actions, words and biases, understandable. The depth and presentation of inter-generation trauma is as heart-breaking as it is important to read. Highly recommend.